King of Anything
by trezelle2
Summary: JxS. Her friends haven't been calling, and a fight with Jareth causes both of them to think about their feelings. Romance? Maybe.  YES!  Standard disclaimers apply. Angst does get resolved :
1. King of Anything Sara Bareilles

_King of Anything - Sara Bareilles _

_Keep drinkin' coffee_

_Stare me down across the table_

_While I look outside_

Sarah sat in front of her mirror, staring blankly, as Karen entered the room. "Sarah? Time for dinner"

The girl looked up. "I'm not hungry, Karen. Go ahead and eat without me. I'm waiting for one of my friends to call." Hopefully this would appease the woman.

Karen touched her shoulder, as if to ascertain that she was still sitting there and agreed reluctantly. Pulling the door shut behind her, Karen wondered what was wrong with Sarah.

_So many things I'd say if only I were able_

_But I just keep quiet_

_And count the cars that pass by_

Sarah was waiting for a friend to call - Hoggle. He hadn't called in days, but she religiously came to her mirror every day at the same time and waited. "Hoggle?" she whispered. "I need you."

_You've got opinions, man_

_We're all entitled to 'em_

_But I never asked_

But still, the mirror showed only her mussed bed, and her cluttered vanity. Foremost on the vanity remained the statue of the Goblin King, and suddenly Sarah had an idea. "Goblin king, get in here RIGHT NOW!"

"Your wish is my command, Precious" He appeared in the mirror.

"I am only going to say this once. Where. Is. Hoggle. And. Why. Hasn't. He. Called?" She responded through gritted teeth her inconspicuous gulp was simply because she hadn't had anything to drink for a while - not because the (not hot at all) king had made her salivate. Not at all.

"Sarah, Sarah, Sarah… I never did understand your obsession with the lower-life-forms of my kingdom…" Jareth allowed her name to roll of his tongue, before adding the sneer that was necessary to continue a conversation with the strong-willed girl.

"I don't recall asking what you THOUGHT of him."

_So let me thank you for time_

_And try to not waste any more of mine_

_Get out of here fast_

"Oh, Precious, you cut me…"

"Shut it Jareth," Sarah snapped, trying to ignore the distinct (not yummy at all) taste his name left on her lips, "Don't waste my time. Just answer the dang question already, and then you can LEAVE!"

_I hate to break it to you babe_

_But I'm not drowning_

_There's no one here to save_

"Sarah… Higwart has a life Underground, and a duty, and a job. One would think that you would have outgrown this selfishness and let your friends have lives outside of Sarah Williams's precious clique" he sneered, letting the word 'clique' rise and fall like a bratty teenager's voice, pretending that he wasn't .

Sarah glared at the (super sexy?) incorrigible king. She spoke sarcastically and with exaggerated breathlessness, "Thanks for the UNNECESSARY information - I'm soooo glad someone could save me from my own nonexistent ignorance! I am well aware of that life he has, but he's never disappeared for five days without warning! I don't need all this background - you're stalling!"

"Sarah!" The king began to lose his temper. "It might do you well to LISTEN when I offer advice, considering that I control your precious little friends?"

_Who cares if you disagree_

_You are not me_

_Who made you king of anything_

_So you dare tell me who to be_

_Who died_

_And made you king of anything_

"You know what, Jareth? Ludo, Didymus, and Hoggle may have to answer to you, but I DON'T! Who died and made you king of me? You may rule over a bunch of leather-skinned children, but that doesn't make you the High Lord Over the Entire Universe."

_You sound so innocent_

_All full of good intent_

_You swear you know best_

The king looked at the angry girl and tried a different tactic. His voice came out soft and caressing. "Sarah, maybe you should go back to bed - try to be patient… I've known your friends for years, sometimes they get absent minded. They'll call you back soon; in the meantime, is my company really so bad if you are that lonely?"

_But you expect me to_

_Jump up on board with you_

_Ride off into your delusional sunset_

Sarah tried to ignore how his voice felt as it floated around her. She took a deep breath and readied her snarky comeback. "Suuuure Jareth. You'd just loooooove that, wouldn't you? My friends to disappear, so I'd have to go _grovel_ at the feet of Lord High and Mighty Goblin King for any kind of companionship, because everyone knows I couldn't - le epic gasp! - meet friends at school."

"Sarah Mary Williams!" the ticked goblin king snapped. "And I suppose that you have enough friends from this _school_ of yours that you wouldn't mind it if my subjects never visited you again?"

_I'm not the one who's lost_

_With no direction oh_

_But you won't ever see_

Sarah took a breath. _Take the high road, S. _"Jareth, I'm sure I won't be able to convince you, but I had a perfect balance in my life, like DAY and NIGHT, school in day, Labyrinth in night, until SOMETHING changed and the Labyrinth part just went POOF! Most likely in SHOWERS of GLITTER that a certain TOO BIG FOR HIS BOOTS KING seems to enjoy!" _Okay, Sarah old girl, how's the high road working? _

Jareth had enjoyed the first few seconds of her speech, the way her breath caused her chest to rise into better view and had yet to recede, and the way her voice caressed - almost kissed - his name, until she began to yell… That's how he had expected it...

_You're so busy makin' maps_

_With my name on them in all caps_

_You got the talkin' down just not the listening_

"Precious, a balance as delicate as the patterns of the seasons, a pattern ruled by TIME and SPACE… is one that must be held in the hand of one who controls TIME and SPACE… Such as myself. For, what if your DAY disappeared and your friends never returned?

_And who cares if you disagree_

_You are not me_

_Who made you king of anything_

_So you dare tell me who to be_

_Who died_

_And made you king of anything_

"You know what, O High and Mighty Goblin King? You seem to want my attention, my companionship, SOMETHING from me, and going around threatening my friends is not the way to make it happen!" Sarah was breathing heavily now, and Jareth was trying not to watch the rise and fall of her chest. He stared at her face with a blank look until she finished. Maybe she was right. "Sarah…"

_All my life_

_I've tried_

_To make everybody happy while I_

_Just hurt_

_And hide_

_Waitin' for someone to tell me it's my turn_

_To decide_

"No, forget it. Just go ahead, try and intimidate me some more. That's all I've ever done, I've been put down and intimidated my whole _damn _life. I've been doing what everybody freaking else said for _sixteen_ years, and all I get is criticism! So you can shut your trap, Goblin King, because I'm sick of everyone else telling me who to be!"

_Who cares if you disagree_

_You are not me_

_Who made you king of anything_

_So you dare tell me who to be_

_Who died_

_And made you king of anything_

_Let me hold your crown, babe_

"Got that, Goblin King?" Sarah shouted. "If you don't get OUT of my mirror, and OUT of my life, I will personally break that mirror and I hope it shatters you too! I don't know what happened that you can suddenly waltz into my life again, I've said it once and I'll say it again, YOU HAVE NO POWER OVER ME!"

Jareth looked at her sadly. She needed him now, he could feel it. But her words were pushing him away, their essence of magic forcing him to say goodbye. _Damn that girl's pride,_ he thought. "Goodbye Sarah. Your friends will call you in the morning. And should you ever need me…"

"I WILL NEVER ASK YOU FOR HELP!" She screamed, and Jareth could tell she was holding back tears.

"Goodbye Sarah." _I love you_, he finished silently. He faded away, leaving just a touch of glitter on her statue of him on the vanity to remind her he had been there.

And without an enemy to fight, an annoyance to aggravate, she couldn't hold it back anymore. She collapsed on the bed, sobbing.

**A/N: Sorry, I had to. I'm planning a follow-up to another song, where Sarah calls for him again to apologize and for comfort. Any suggestions for songs?**


	2. I Want To Cry Keith Urban

_Alone in this house again tonight_

_I got the TV on, the sound turned down and a bottle of wine_

Jareth sighed. He had been so close… for a few desperate moments he felt that maybe Sarah would talk to him, that maybe Sarah could forgive him… He opened another bottle of wine. The cork joined the 5 or 6 he had already gone through in the rudimentary game of pass between the goblins.

_There's pictures of you and I on the walls around me_

_The way that it was and could have been surrounds me_

_I'll never get over you walkin' away_

"Kingy?" the most rational goblin was tugging on his boot. "Maybe kingy shouldn't drink so much. Wine make kingy sad again, like after Lady leave."

All the thanks he got was a kick. Jareth didn't need to be reminded of that horrible day… he had tried to drown his sorrow then, too. It hadn't worked well. Between the hundreds of goblins with broken ribs from those next few days, the massive hangover… and all the wine served to do was exaggerate the rejection, and make him taunt himself that he was going to pieces over this girl. As the memories surfaced, all the crystals shimmering around the throne room began playing them. Right in front of him was that peachy paradise, and in his anger he reached out and crushed it, but all around him were his own fantasies and memories, dancing and taunting him. He stood and left the room.

_I've never been the kind to ever let my feelings show_

_And I thought that bein' strong meant never losin' your self-control_

He collapsed on his bed, already pinching the bridge of his nose from the alcohol induced headache. But he didn't want to lose control… "I am strong… no losing control…" he moaned. Sarah was just another runner. Just another runner. Another runner. Another runner that wasted 13 hours of his time to hurt him. Sarah had hurt him. Sarah was just another runner… the chant rolled through his drunk mind, trying to ignore the pain.

_But I'm just drunk enough to let go of my pain_

_To hell with my pride, let it fall like rain_

_From my eyes_

_Tonight I wanna cry_

"Ohhh, it's no use at all!" He suddenly yelled, throwing a crystal at the wall. He felt the shatter release some anger, but all it left was sadness and rejection. He slumped down in front of his mirror - sometimes, if Sarah was lonely, he could watch her through it… he let go. "Damn it all!" he ranted. "Damn my pride!" and he let the tears fall like rain.

_Would it help if I turned a sad song on_

_"All By Myself" would sure hit me hard now that you're gone_

But somehow the few tears that could disobey his pride weren't strong enough to rid him of his traitorous emotions. He crushed another crystal in his hand before he heard music coming from the mirror, from Sarah's room. "All by myself, don't wanna be all by myself anymore… hard to be sure sometimes I feel so insecure and love's so distant and obscure…" and he could cry again.

_Or maybe unfold some old yellow lost love letters_

_It's gonna hurt bad before it gets better_

He was watching now, for anything else in her room that could make him feel better, when he saw that BOOK. And it was opened to that PAGE. "And the Goblin King had fallen in love with the girl…"

"It doesn't matter anymore!" he thought. "I'm going to be hurt no matter what…" and his drink suffocated the thoughts of "even though a Goblin King shouldn't feel pain…"

_But I'll never get over you by hidin' this way_

He stood up and decided he wasn't going to hide anymore. He readied himself to step through the mirror.

**A/N: OK, I know I promised a reunion scene but this was wide open, so I've got this one, one from Sarah's POV, and then the reunion. Also watch out for another (separate) songfic about the Labyrinth being so different after Sarah's gone, set to "Our Town" from the movie "Cars."**


	3. Alone Heart

_I hear the ticking of the clock_

_I'm lying here the room's pitch dark_

Sarah was convinced that she could hear the clock chiming thirteen as she curled up in her bed. The clock that had pulled her away from his loving embrace… oh that dance was a mistake. It gave her one more regret…

_I wonder where you are tonight_

_No answer on the telephone_

She wondered where the Goblin King was now… not that she'd ever ask aloud. He'd never answer a call from her anyway… Why had she had to ruin her last talk with him?

_And the night goes by so very slow_

_Oh I hope that it won't end though_

_Alone_

It felt like days ago that she had called upon the king of the goblins to inquire about her friends. If she called him now, she knew it would be so different. She knew now that she missed him, and she loved him. She had rejected him twice now… she could hope that her night wouldn't end alone, but it didn't mean he would visit.

_Till now I always got by on my own_

_I never really cared until I met you_

She had been a child when she had met him. At first she had meant those lines in the story referred to the selfishness and immaturity that had caused the heroine (or villainess, in another perspective) to wish away the boy. Now, she realized it referred to the girl's inability to love. She had been too young. Sarah had never really cared for anyone until she met Jareth.

_And now it chills me to the bone_

_How do I get you alone_

_How do I get you alone_

Sarah sometimes wondered if this was what other girl's crushes felt like, but doubted it - she was sure it was love. It gave her chills to the bone… and Jareth never knew how badly she wanted to be alone with him and tell him everything...

_You don't know how long I have wanted_

_to touch your lips and hold you tight_

Ever since she had gotten that book, Sarah had had a "thing" for the Goblin King… but now, she was obsessed. Her dreams every night involved holding him, dancing with him… kissing him.

_You don't know how long I have waited_

_and I was going to tell you tonight_

Sarah had been waiting for so long now - ever since the Labyrinth, in fact - to tell him, and she nearly had the courage tonight, when she had gotten the courage to call him.

_But the secret is still my own_

_and my love for you is still unknown_

_Alone_

But she was still alone, and her secret still weighed heavily on her chest. He still didn't know she loved him.

_Till now I always got by on my own_

_I never really cared until I met you_

_And now it chills me to the bone_

Sarah had always been an independent soul, somewhat distant from the world around her - maybe that was why she had fit so well with the Goblin King and his subjects… But she got chills trying to figure out what she was going to do now.

_How do I get you alone_

_How do I get you alone_

_How do I get you alone_

_How do I get you alone_

_Alone, alone_

But there was really only one course of action - only one way to ensure that Jareth would be there with her, that she could get him alone…

She went to sit by her vanity. "Jareth, I can't take this heartache overload. I need you here with me… right now."


	4. Missing You John Waite

**A/N: So, here's your reconciliation scene! Set to John Waite's "Missing You"**

**I just want to make a shout-out to my wonderful and amazing beta Moonspun Dragon :D Thanks for all the thought you put in!**

_Everytime I think of you_

_I always catch my breath_

Jareth was still slightly drunk, and watching Sarah's room through the mirror. When a stifled sob made its way through the mirror to his attention, he saw her on her bed. She was curled up, pointedly not looking at the mirror, the book, or any of the dolls and toys that would remind her of the Labyrinth. Even with tear tracks down her cheeks and in sweatpants and a fuzzy sweater, she was beautiful. Jareth sighed, wishing...

_I'm still standing here_

_And you're miles away_

_And I wonder why you left me_

"Oh Sarah, why won't you come back?" he thought. "I'm still right here… waiting for you. Why did you leave me?"

_And there's a storm that's raging through my frozen heart tonight_

The goblins have a legend, passed through years of hearsay, that the Goblin King's heart was an unbending block of ice, that nothing could penetrate and entertain unless it was humor of the most twisted and sadistic nature… and maybe it had been true, but it wasn't anymore. Not since Sarah.

_I hear your name in certain circles_

_And it always makes me smile_

Sarah was curled up in her favorite sweater with her favorite teddy bear and some chicken soup Karen had made her. She so badly wanted to pick up that BOOK, and read those WORDS again, but she knew she couldn't. She hadn't read it since the Labyrinth, but she had lent it to her friends. In those certain circles of friends, they would carelessly talk about imaginary romances between the girl and the Goblin king. It would always make her smile wistfully as her friends told tales of kisses and words of love, when Sarah knew the only thing the Goblin King would send her way would be taunts and words of cruelty.

_I spent my time just thinking about you_

_And its almost driving me wild_

Sarah shivered, taking another spoonful of soup to warm up. Maybe Karen was right, maybe she was coming down with something. But in her heart she knew that she was just too obsessed. She spent all her time thinking about Jareth, not even about Hoggle or Ludo or Sir Didymus, but about Jareth. And that, she was certain, was the cause of her illness. It was almost driving her wild.

_But it's my heart that's breaking down this long distance line tonight_

Jareth took a step closer to the mirror, a step closer to HER. His heart was breaking, he was sure of it. Such a pity, he thought, it finally finds love, and it's broken to pieces - over such a long distance, too...

_And I ain't missin' you at all_

_Since you've been gone... Away_

Sarah stole a glance at the mirror, and imagined she saw a flash of fluffy blond hair. "I can't miss him… I don't miss him, I can't…" "_Why ever not?"_ Her conscience whispered.

_I ain't missin' you_

_No matter what I might say_

Jareth stared at the mirror, watched as her eyes flicked to the mirror and away again. "Oh please, Sarah? Please? Just look at me, wish for me to be there and I will be…" But no matter what he said, his pride continued to tell him _"You don't miss her… You're just too DAMN drunk to make sense"_

_There's a message in the wires_

_And I am sendin' you a signal tonight_

Sarah wondered if Jareth ever watched her, in those crystals of his… or through her mirror… Her heart wanted to call to him to be there for her, but her pride didn't want to need anyone.

_You don't know how desperate I've become_

_And It looks like I'm losing this fight_

Jareth flopped backwards on the bed. "It's pointless anyway," he slurred, reaching for his wine again. "I lost her once, an' if I start a new game I'll lose that one too…" But if someone looked closer, they would see how very desperate he'd become.

_But it's my heart that's breakin' down this long dusty road of mine_

Sarah rolled over and buried her face in the pillows. "I'm too young for this," she thought. "I'm too young to have a broken heart. But I set myself up for heartbreak in that long dusty Labyrinth of his…" She so badly wanted him to be there.

_But I ain't missin' you at all_

_Since you've been gone... Away_

_I aint missin' you at_

_No matter what my friends say_

Jareth turned toward the mirror once more, sat next to it and leaned against it. It had nothing to do with how close that made him feel to Sarah, of course, just that the cool mirror felt good on his tear-stained cheeks.

_And there's a message that I'm sendin' out_

_Like a telegraph to your soul_

_I can't bridge this distance_

_Honey, stop this heartache overload_

Sarah climbed off her bed and went to sit in front of her mirror. "I give up," she whispered to the mirror. "Jareth, I can't take this heartache overload. I need you here with me… right now."

Jareth found hope as he wiped the tears off his cheeks and stepped through his mirror.

_I ain't missin' you at all_

_Since you've been gone... Away_

"Hello, Precious," he whispered, sitting down on the edge of her bed.

"Hello, Jareth," she whispered back, turning her chair around. "Miss me?"

He closed his eyes. "Maybe, maybe not." _Only like a lost puppy… and just since you've been gone._

She sighed. Of course he wouldn't miss her at all…

_I ain't missin' you_

_No matter what my friends say_

"And you, Sarah?" he asked. "Did you miss me?"

She twisted her hands together. "Maybe…" _No matter how obsessed with you I seem to my friends._

He sighed this time. He couldn't evade her questions anymore, because she knew how to evade his.

_I ain't missin' you_

_Since you've been gone... Away_

Sarah stood up and moved to sit next to him. She bent her head and made a quiet comment that he couldn't quite catch. "What was that?"

"I did miss you, Jareth. Since the Labyrinth I've missed you…"

_I ain't missin you_

_Yeah, no matter what your friends say_

His response was just as hard to catch. "Pardon?"

"I've missed you too, Sarah… and the reason your friends couldn't come is because I knew they'd noticed."

_I ain't missin you at all_

_Since you've been gone... Away_

_I ain't missin' you_

_No_

She leaned her head on his shoulder, and his arm came around her waist. "But, for the record," he said, "I wasn't missing you at all since you've been gone. Damn, the goblins would have a field day with that."

"Fine," she laughed. "But then I go on the record as saying that I wasn't missing you either, no matter what my friends would say about me and the Goblin King… I should never have let them read that book."

They laughed together, and Jareth leaned down to kiss her as he led her to the mirror. "Sarah? Will you come back with me so we never miss each other again?"

She kissed him back. "Of course. But we never missed each other, remember?"

**A/N: I'm kind of sad now that it's over… oh well, all good things must come to an end. So should I write a sequel? Reviews with ideas are always appreciated!**


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